


Among the Shelves

by topshelfpenguin



Category: Hataraku Maou-Sama! | The Devil Is a Part-Timer!
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Oneshot, Romance, Shipping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-06
Updated: 2014-06-06
Packaged: 2018-02-03 14:32:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1748012
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/topshelfpenguin/pseuds/topshelfpenguin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Rika asks Ashiya to accompany her on a day at the mall. The demon general finds out that he has a lot to learn about the subtleties of human romance. Rather fluffy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Among the Shelves

            “Uuuuuuuuugggghhhh!!!!” A moan broke out behind Ashiya.

            “Quiet!” His reply was quick and cutting, but did nothing to stop his companion from complaining.

            “What are we doing here?! Why are you making me do this?!”

            Ashiya frowned disapprovingly at the boy shuffling along behind him. From his arm, Rika bit her lip awkwardly, noticeably put off by the bickering. Around them, other mallgoers stared at the blonde’s slouching companion who, video game in hand, trailed behind them.

            It occurred to him that the last time Urushihara had been to a mall was when the fallen angel had personally caused the collapse that nearly took his life. His companion was now powerless, however, so he didn’t have any qualms about taking the NEET with him today.

            “So…Ashiya,” Rika said from his right side, obviously trying to move the conversation around the whining ball of purple at her tail, “do you have any interests? Hobbies? Anything?”

            “I…” He started then paused, unsure of what to say, but sudden inspiration soon hit the quick-witted general. “I used to play a lot of chess in my times of leisure, but not much anymore.”

            “Oh…” Rika said. Ashiya realized from her trailing voice and blank expression that she had been disappointed by this response.

            “There are some other things.” He continued, determined not to bore her. “I go to the library a lot, but I am not sure whether you would consider that a hobby.”

            Rika perked up at this and smiled sweetly, leaning in toward him a bit and tilting her head inquisitively. She put her arm around his, not realizing that the young, purpled-eyed face behind her was staring with equal parts surprise and horror.

            “I’d consider that a hobby! What sorts of books do ya’ read?” Rika’s voice was cuter than normal, confirming Ashiya’s suspicions that she was flirting with him. The sudden invitation to join her at the mall made sense now; he regretted bringing Lucifer along.

            “Mainly history and geography books.” He admitted stiffly.

            “Ah…” The woman’s brown eyes glimmered with sudden determination and Alsiel found himself pulled into a bookstore. “I’ll treat you to something, then. How about that?”

            A few minutes later, he stood in the romance section with Rika holding books up to him and ranting excitedly. Urushihara sat on the floor at his feet, leaning against the wall, playing his video game, and occasionally sending a glare in the general’s direction. Alsiel tried to be polite toward Rika, but felt overwhelmed by her seemingly endless battery of titles and synopses.

            “This one’s pretty good, too. It’s about a firewoman who’s saved by the son of a man who she failed to save a few years before. The plot’s fast paced, with a good bedroom scene at the end…how about it?” She held out a thick paperback, grinning expectantly.

            “Rika…” He avoided eye contact. The introvert on the floor looked up with a cheeky grin.

            “Yeah?” She put the book back on the shelf, her eyes wide and concerned.

            “It’s not that I dislike these books that you are so passionately suggesting,” Ashiya tried to sound as polite as he could, “but I was wondering if we could maybe find a compromise and choose something to both of our tastes.”

            “Deal." A smile returned to Rika’s face.

            A half-hour later, the pair stood at the line for the cash register, matching novels in hand. Ashiya fished in his pocket for the cash necessary to buy the book. As Rika stepped up to the register to pay, the fallen angel by Ashiya’s side gave him a slightly skeptical look.

            “Ashiya, are you sure Maou will be cool with this?”

            “I’m confident that he will understand.”

            “You sure about that?”

            “Yes. We have room in our budget for a cheap novel like this.”

            “No… I mean that you’re not buying it.”

            “What?”

            “Dude, she invites you on a date and you make her pay for her own thing?!”

            “Well, ‘dude,’” Ashiya’s tone was mocking and disdainful, “our finances don’t exactly leave room for excess, not with your spending habits.” Urushihara gritted his teeth and glared at Ashiya. “Besides, I wasn’t aware that was the practice.”

            The cashier called Ashiya to the counter. Smoothing out his crumpled bills and putting down his coins in small piles, he paid for the book. Rika stood by, holding her bag in front of her and waiting with a smile. As the cashier printed out his receipt, Urushihara’s monotonous voice advised him from behind.

            “She plans to go get coffee next, right? Pay for it.”

            “Fine.” Ashiya then thanked the man at the register as he took his bag. Within a few seconds, he was taken lightly by the armed and pulled off into the mall. Rika looked at him sweetly.

            As they paused in front of the crowded Moonbucks, a smile crossed his usually stern lips. She was at his arm, leaning on his shoulder a bit, and he could tell that she was smiling as he leaned back.

            They walked in, the grumbling NEET following doggedly behind.


End file.
